Lions Over All 2: Kion's Pride
by DarthRushy
Summary: The Lion Guard is dead and Kion has joined the Outsiders, but nobody could predict how dark his heart would become, not even Vitani. Now, the very cause of his downfall might be the only one who can save his soul...
1. Chapter 1

Before the sun had risen, a now-adult Kion with a massive, messy mane that would've been a beautiful deep red if it weren't for the dreadful climate had left the filthy, verminous termite mound that they called a den. As the years passed by, leaving before Zira's inane rambling and the mindnumbing heat of the day began became his habit.

In the grey, dispiriting light of the early dawn, he stalked throughout the Outlands and at the very edge of the Pride Lands, looking for something - anything - to kill and eat. Rats, if he was lucky. He'd been a hungry, healthy cub and his hunger had only grown as there had been less and less prey. But like the rest of the pride, he was sustained by his focus on a different craving, an insane stubbornness to submit whilst work still remained to be done.

Because even in the Outlands, one could see the jagging rock. _Pride Rock_ , ruled by his sanctimonious father. Just thinking of him made Kion claw the ground. And whenever he did, he also thought of his snake of a sister, who would surpass them in due time. In fact, it was time for her first hunt today.

"Oomph!" Kion mumbled as he was caught offguard by a nimble mass of fur that immediately coiled around him so tightly that he could scarcely breath.

"How many times have I told you not to stare at that stupid thing!" Vitani hissed in his ear. "Do you _want_ your neck broken by a Pridelander?"

Kion growled and rolled his eyes. "Pridelanders couldn't sneak up on Nuka." He playfully bit her cheek, and she let him go. "Besides, it won't matter if Zira's plan works. By the end of the week, we'll be sleeping in my father's spot."

"That's for Kovu." Vitani reminded him.

Kion snorted. "He'll have to earn it."

The lioness squinted her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said. If you think I'm letting Kovu rest his rump on my family throne, well..."

Vitani grabbed his shoulder. "If my mother heard you..."

"... I'd be doomed, yes, I know. I'm not ready yet. But I will be soon enough." He poked at Vitani's nose affectionately. "I'm tired of being told how to run my life, taunted for my mistakes, judged at the standard of long-dead kings from years ago. I know you are too. Once this pointless war ends, I'll stand on Pride Rock... and rest my paws on Simba and Zira's skulls." He smiled darkly as he imagined it. "I know she's your mother, Tani, but don't tell me you haven't thought of just... shutting her up for good."

Vitani shuddered. "Don't say things like that!"

Kion turned to her, his eyes gleaming feverishly. "Why not? Who will stop me if there's no one left alive to exert power over me? It's just another hunt... the hunt for our lives. And they are the prey."

Now that the idea had been planted into her head, Vitani couldn't stop thinking about it. She was absolutely loyal to her family, of course, but doesn't a lion have to grow up and move on at some point, to focus on what she wants for herself...?

"There you are." Kion cooed, satisfied. "Queen of everything the light touches doesn't sound so bad, does it?"

* * *

Unable to sleep on the night before her big hunt, Kiara had finally given up and climbed Pride Rock to watch the sun rise over the kingdom she didn't want. The lioness hated to admit it, but no matter what Simba and Nala taught her, her enthusiasm for ruling had only waned since growing up. As a cub, she liked the idea of doing things her own way, but as an adult, she knew the burden of absolute responsibility and it terrified her.

"Kiara, what are you doing all the way up here?" Nala asked softly. Naturally, she'd been slightly concerned for her as it was her first hunt, and woke up early to comfort her.

The younger lioness turned to her mother. "I wish Kion were here..."

Nala became uncomfortable. To protect Kiara from the awful truth, she and Simba had sworn the pride to secrecy. As far as anyone was concerned, the Lion Guard had tragically died to defend the Pride Lands from the Outsiders.

She swallowed to keep the bile down. "I'm sure he'd be proud of what you've become."

Kiara smiled faintly. She did truly miss her rascal of a brother. Funnily enough, Janja and his hyenas had disappeared shortly after Kion's death, as if staying away from the Pride Lands for good just to respect his memory(although she knew that was impossible).

Despite their frequent disagreements, she'd always believed he'd be there when she became Queen, that they'd rule together as a family. But it was not meant to be and it was eating at her. Kiara sighed and nuzzled his mother.

"I think we'd better go down." She said to Nala. "The hunt's about to begin."


	2. Chapter 2

Nuka grumbled softly to himself as he followed his sister and her mate to the Elephant Graveyard. He loathed their company. Vitani herself had been an irritating little critter since birth, constantly biting and clawing him, but when she mated with Kion, things went to a whole new level. The exiled lion prince wasn't merely malevolent, he was _cruel_. When you tried to steal his dinner, he didn't just growl or slap you, he'd torture you. And he'd make sure his mate was with him every step of the way. On a particularly memorable day, they'd taken two toes from him, one each.

Ironically enough, it was Mother who'd defended him - not out of love, but because any further handicap would render him completely useless to the pride. He vowed revenge. Somehow, he'd kill them, and Kovu. And then he'd be the true heir to Scar's power. He just had to find a way...

"Nuka!" Vitani snapped. "Keep up, you lazy fleabag!"

Nuka scowled and looked down at the noxious green gas emanating from the volcanoes. "Ugh, this place is even creepier since the hyenas ran off."

"Can I kill him now? Zira'd never know the truth." Kion asked sarcastically.

Vitani smiled. "I got a better idea. Nuka, unless you set the whole northern border on fire in about - ooh, ten minutes, we roast you."

Nuka's mouth dropped open. "I can't run that fast. I mean, look at these!" He held up his mutilated paws.

The lioness shrugged. "You best get going then. Maybe you'll only get singed, and lose the termites. Then we'd all win."

With murder in his eyes, Nuka set a few branches on flames and slinked off.

* * *

Once the runt was gone, Kion began nuzzling Vitani. "Mmm- Kion, not now. We gotta focus." She said, cocking her neck, clearly enjoying the attention.

"What can I say? Hurting people gets me in the mood." He admitted. "I can't wait to kill my lying wretch of a sister. But first..." he licked her from ears to back.

"Kion, I mean it!" She giggled, only to pause and realise that was the first time she'd ever made that sound. He really did bring out the strangest side of her. "Kion, Mother will think something is wrong if..."

Kion stopped her mid-sentence. "She can blame Nuka. Stop worrying so much about what Mother thinks. Soon, Mother won't matter anymore, when I am King."

But Vitani couldn't help, but worry. Could Kion really take on so many enemies at once and emerge triumphant? Did she even want him to? He was her mate, yes, but his mind was... chaotic. He'd increasingly begun to rely on strange impulses rather than the simple predator logic she'd taught him when they first met.

"Well, how about we actually make that happen first, hmm?" Vitani whispered and pushed Kion away. The lion sighed. "I suppose you're right. But I need to know you're on my side, Tani. It's time to put the past behind us and start over... and as long as they all live, including Zira, that will never happen." He said in a quiet voice.

Vitani sighed. "But do we need Pride Rock? If Mother's plan works, Kovu could sit on the throne and we'd be free to start over somewhere else - anywhere else, if that's what you want! Our own pride..." She thought she saw Kion consider it, briefly, but then the glazed madness returned.

"No! I will not be pushed away, not this time! I'm a lion, I will _take_ what I want!" Kion turned to the lioness. "The question is, will you?"

"I am a lion." Was all that Vitani could say, and it seemed to satisfy the prince... for now. He took one of the dry branches they'd brought along and set it aflame. Vitani did the same.

* * *

Kiara loved to jog, and now she needed those muscles more than ever. She had no clue where the wall of fire had come from, but all of a sudden, smoke obscured her vision and clogged her lungs. The young lioness ran around in circles, trying desperately to find a way out until finally seeing a small cliff above the flames. As the fire rapidly approached her, Kiara gathered her strength for one final leap, clutching onto the rock and dragging herself out of danger, then finally collapsing due to lack of oxygen.

From the shadows, Kion appeared.


	3. Chapter 3

Kion approached the unconscious form of his sister and took a moment to become familiar with her now-adult form.

"You know Kiara, if you weren't such a bitch, I'd call you grade A mate-able." He giggled at the thought and placed the lioness on his back to carry her out of the fire. He ran to a secret pool near Rafiki's tree that only his family knew about, both to hide what he was about to do from both Pridelanders and Outsiders, and for the irony of beginning his family's destruction from a spot so sacred to them, for it was here that Simba first regained his confidence to take Pride Rock away from Scar and saw the reflection of his father in him.

With a loud thump, Kion pushed Kiara off his back and rapidly tossed water on her face. "Come on now! Wake up, you little..."

Kiara began to cough, clearing her lungs. With bleary eyes, she looked up and saw a strangely familiar lion look down with a grin. "Rise and shine, sister!" The lion said chirpily, and Kiara finally realized who he was... "How you been? Destroy anyone's self-confidence lately? Or whatever's in fashion for ya these days."

"You're... alive? Oh my Kings, you're alive!" Kiara yelped and hugged Kion tightly. The lion squirmed. "The hell are you hugging me for?" He slapped her away. "We hate each other, remember?"

Tears came to Kiara's eyes. "Oh Kion, I'm so sorry! I was such a little brat to you, was that what made you run away? Mom and Dad said Zira killed you!"

"I didn't run away at all... I was exiled _by_ Mom and Dad to the Outlands, because I refused to follow their orders and let those stinkin' hyenas claim a lion pride's territory!"

Kiara shook her head in disbelief. "They'd never do that. They've always taught me to be fair."

"And was it fair to exile the Outsiders to a life of hunger, pests and roasting temperatures just cause they thought Scar managed the kingdom better? And you're all surprised when they became bitter predators." He scoffed. "But I'm not here to blather about that. Despite everything we went through, I still care about my old pride and I gotta warn you... Zira's got a plan to take it down. She's sending your favourite runt Kovu to get close to you and Simba. This fire was the first step. But we're going to use it to our advantage instead."

Kiara squinted her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Whaddaya mean 'whaddaya mean?'? I mean that we're gonna dupe them all! Kovu, Zira and even our precious daddy!" _And even you, you dumb hoghead_. He thought. "You can pretend to go along with Kovu's plan to get close to him instead in the Outlands. Before you know it, we'll be right in position to snap Zira's neck and win the Outsiders over. Simba won't harm a hair on your head, so he can't argue if you choose to take over the Pride Lands by force."

"You're insane." Kiara said. "I can't betray my parents. That would be too much like... like..."

"Like Scar? You've got to expand your horizons, Kiara. We're not Scar. When we take Pride Rock, we can put an end to injustice... forever."

She imagined it, imagined revealing how Simba's tight policies had led him to exiling Kion, how upset he'd be when he realised how he'd failed to keep her back from her destiny with useless warnings and restrictions.

"What the hell." She finally said, swearing for the first time in her life. "Let's rock and roll.

* * *

As Kovu frantically searched for Kiara, beginning to fear she actually had burned to death, he ran into his least favourite Outsider... Kion.

"What're you doing here?" He growled. "I have a mission to do."

Kion snarled instinctively. "Then it's in everyone's best interest that you get on with it. Where's Kiara? No, don't even bother answering that. I found her for you. She's unconscious in the northern grove, on the boulders where they buried the Lion Guard. If you run, you'll get her before she wakes up."

Kovu dashed off, and Kion began to laugh maniacally amidst the fiery bushes. Moving silently like a viper, Vitani appeared on the scene.

Kion wiped tears of joy from his eyes. "Oh Tani, you know..." He began to softly sing.

 _"There is no greater power than to rule over the lands. It's always been my mission, it's where I'm meant to stand. My foes and friends will know, I'm bigger than them all... it's time for dad and Zira to take a giant fall! So if I'm to be King, against themselves they'll turn. Child vs parent, and they will both burn. Kion over all, no animal is more grand. Kion over all, I shall rule all the lands. When their blood'll be on my paws, I shall make up my own laws, Kion... Kion over all._ "

Vitani smiled and joined in the song: " _When we're standing on Pride Rock, the future will be ours. No more arrogant rivals, over all we shall tower._ "

Kion took over the song again, eager to scream his message into the night. " _And long after they're dead, I shall still carry on... Kion will rule forever, KION OVER ALL!"_

The couple sang their sadistic, megalomaniac song together now:

" _Kion over all, no animal is more grand..."_

" _Once mor_ _e we'll hunt freely..._ " Vitani added.

" _Kion over all, I shall rule all the lands..._ "

" _... just to watch their skin peeling..._ "

" _When their blood'll be on my paws..._ "

" _how_ _glorious!_ "

 _"KION! KION OVER ALL!_ "

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Well, we finally got our evil song, which I wanted to basically shos how Kion has taken Zira's philosophy to heart and even made it his own._

 _Also, just watched Bride Of Chucky for the first time and now I'm almost tempted to write a "Lions Over All 3: Kion In New York" where he and Vitani possess human bodies to cause mayhem... too much?_

 _*CandyLuv99 - Sorry! And I'm sorry I neglected to respond to the reviews, but I'm in the army now and these things tend to slip from the mind._

 _*Cyonix - So is mine. But I didn't tell you that._

 _*STR2D3PO - I'm loving your name._

 _*Juster Of Rivia - I thought a rendition of "Lions Over All" would be more appropriate, given the title._

 _*dale . cameronii . 9 - continue more chapters_

 _*redwalllover28 - Believe it or not, but I haven't seen the second season. I was hoping to do a reaction video to Scar's comeback._

 _*Casey Willeke - Don't see your email there..._

 _*Westerhouse - I prefer to write shorter chapters, it's just my style._

 _*MarshallxEverestxChase - Kion and Fuli are pretty cute too, though I find it hard to write for them._

 _*Gracekim1 - In more than one way._

 _*SpiderEye - That's satisfying to know._

 _*Korrasami 88 - I wonder that as well..._

 _*travass99 - Will do my best._


	4. Chapter 4

Having dragged Kiara out of the smoke and flames, Kovu set her down near a lake and splashed her face. Almost instantly, the lioness began coughing wildly and then stopped, taking a hard look at her supposed savior.

"Kovu." She said coldly, apparently recognising him.

As trained, the lion took a friendly posture. "Kiara. You're safe in the Pride Lands." He flashed her a smile that she didn't respond to.

"Uh-huh. Lucky you were there." She said slowly. "Are the Outsiders keeping tabs on us now?"

Kovu backed away, surprised by her aggression. "No! Or... well, I don't know! I'm not an Outsider anymore, I went rogue!"

In a bush further down the lakeside, Kion facepawed and groaned almost loud enough for the pair go hear. Vitani nudged him in the ribs.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Kion hissed. "But she is a _horrible_ actress! They both are! We should kill them both and just do this the easy way."

"Not unless you want to be shredded by my mom AND yours, oh mighty king." Vitani hissed back. "Now shut up and stay low."

It was just the right time too, as Simba and his pride finally found the pair. Vitani gripped Kion's paw as a warning when the latter began to growl softly at the sight of his father.

"Father!" Kiara ran behind Simba. "It's Kovu, he got me out."

"Kovu?!" Simba roared, and Kovu roared right back at him. Fortunately, Rafiki got on the scene before things could get too tense. "Hey, you! How dare you save the king's daughter!" He shouted sarcastically, more to Simba than Kovu.

Kiara interrupted Simba as he tried to question Kovu. "Father! Think of the benefits." She whispered something in his ear. Kion squinted his eyes as Simba's expression darkened briefly, only to then conjure a charming smile. "I suppose I was a bit hasty in judging you. I assume, given your interest in my daughter's life, that you are no longer tied to Zira's clan?"

Kovu nodded. "I grew tired of their obsessions. If you will, I'd like to stay with your pride... for now." He said warily.

"Hmm. Well, we owe you a debt, don't we?" Simba replied and moved away. Kovu awkwardly followed him, and the pride followed them.

* * *

After everyone had left, Kion and Vitani remained hidden for a few more hours. Though Zira had assigned Vitani to spy on the situation, they couldn't be sure she'd not sent someone else as backup. Eventually, they crawled out of the bushes.

"What a load of crock!" Kion swore. "I should've known she'd try to pull one over us, the little snake. Did you see him whispering to my dad? For all we know, she could've given us away!" He swatted at the grassy ground in frustrstion, knocking some dirt into the lake.

Vitani had a calmer attitude. "Relax, Kion. She's an idiot, but I don't think Simba could contain himself if he found out you were behind this. For now, we've got to...!" She paused as her sensitive ears picked up rustling. "Someone's here with us." She mouthed to Kion.

The two instantly went into hunter mode and slithered into the high grass. Soon, they saw the head of a wizened mandril popping out of the bushes. It was Rafiki the shaman, peeking around suspiciously. "Kion? Are you out dere?!" The monkey shouted, gripping his baobab staff.

"I'm here."

Rafiki yelped and grabbed his chest. "Oh, Kion. You gave me quite de fright. And Vitani. I see."

Kion smiled humorlessly. "What do you want?"

"To help, of course! Once I pushed your father on the right path to saving his kingdom. You'd have been born in a jungle if not for old Rafiki!"

The lion squinted and looked at Vitani, who shrugged. "Okay." He finally said, reluctant. "You have a point. Keep talking."

Rafiki rubbed his hands together. "Look at you, Kion. Friendless. Hopeless. You've given everything to win, and gained nothing in return."

"Oh, I wouldn't say nothing." Kion said flippantly. "I do get a warm, fuzzy feeling every time I imagine holding my father's head in my paws and squeezing until his skull breaks and everything that he is bleeds out into the dirt where it belongs."

Rafiki shivered. "You are swimming in a sea of darkness, but it doesn't have to be dis way! Without Simba, you would not exist!"

"Fathers were made to be surpassed. Simba, Scar... they had their time. Now I will take the throne and shine brighter than either of them. And maybe, one day, me and Vitani will have our own son, the greatest lion yet. He'll defeat the both of us and earn his title, yes. The Circle of Death begins with me." Kion declared.

"No..." the mandrill whispered. "Rafiki will not let this evil take root in Pride Rock." He raised his staff. "If you cannot be saved, then de rest of your family can be!" He twirled the stick in rapid motion, intending to smash Kion's skull, but the lion vanished in a split second.

Before Rafiki even realised what was happening, the two trained predators slammed him onto the ground, held his four limbs down and broke the staff. "Kion! Please! I'm sorry, I just..."

"... want to help me, sure." Kion rolled his eyes. "And you will. It's the greatest honor of a servant to bring joy to his master... and you..." he lowered his face near the frightened monkey's. "... will definitely be the highlight of my evening." He revealed the claws on his right paw and began lowering them towards Rafiki's face, savoring every scream and plea for mercy, especially as he touched Rafiki's eyelids with the tips of his claws and began to force them in. Soon enough, the howls of pain subsided and a loud crack signified the end of Rafiki's life.

Kion wiped his paw on his mane. "Asante sana, squash banana." He began to hum.

* * *

A hundred meters away, concealed in the shadows of a marula tree, Timon and Pumbaa gulped in unison.

"You know Pumbaa, I think it's time we took long vacation. It's getting a little too... lion-y in these parts." The meerkat said.

Pumbaa nodded. "My sentiments exactly."

Timon hopped on Pumbaa's back and the two quietly slipped into the night.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _I hope the violence doesn't upset anyone, it is meant to be a sort of evil "what if everything went wrong" story._

 _*Juster Of Rivia - Did it?_

 _*CandyLuv99 - At least he enjoyed his birthday lol._

 _*Redwallover28 - He double crosses everyone._

 _*WolfBLitzk03 - He is certainly pushing her towards the dark path, intentionally or not._

 _*STR2D3PO - It's here... finally. I've been kind of out of it for a while._

 _*Delta2060 - Whoops, sorry you had to wait this long. Kion and Vitani's relationship I think is becoming similar to Chucky and Tiffany from the Child's Play franchise in that they're both varying shades of evil, but also have their weak spots and do kinda depend and want each other's company... since nobody else certainly does. Also, yeah, a retelling of LK2 is in the cards._

 _*Gracekim1 - I most certainly won't._

 _*Guest - Awwwwwww..._

 _*Casey Willeke - I have added a fourth chapter. It is here._


	5. Chapter 5

Kiara couldn't help, but feel uncomfortable in the new role Kion had squeezed her into, as a sort of double agent between the Outsiders and the Pridelanders. Whilst she was with her close to fanatical brother, she couldn't help, but get caught up in his insane scheme to take down both Simba and Zira, but she knew, as soon as she saw her father again, that she could never force him to abdicate in favor of her. And so she'd admitted to him immediately that Kovu was a spy rather than play both sides.

What she hadn't expected was Simba's reaction when she told him the information came from Kion. The lion king was, to put it bluntly, reeling. "I don't understand, daddy." Kiara said. "He said you'd exiled him for that waterhole incident, that he's had to survive in the Outlands all this time!"

Nala growled. "Zira must've lied to him. It's the only explanation. Just another one of her manipulations to turn Kion into a monster. But the fact that he came to you, and is still willing to help our pride must mean something."

The lion king nodded. "He's had to live under her paw for years now. Maybe he just misses home."

"But what about Kovu? How am I supposed to convince him to take me to Zira without him suspecting anything? And how do I take her down?" Kiara asked. Simba placed a paw on her shoulder. "You won't." He said softly, but firmly. "We're not going to follow your brother's plan. I won't put you at risk, not even to stop the Outsiders. We may find another way to spring a trap on Zira, now that we have Kovu."

Nala snapped with her paw. "A prisoner exchange. Kion for Kovu. We tell Zira that her plan has failed, and that her own son, Scar's heir, is our prisoner. She'll have to admit the truth to Kion and return him to us. And then, we can fight like lions. Pride on pride."

"We'll just have to hope Kion's heart isn't too black to come back." Simba sighed, voicing everyone's biggest fear.

Kiara gulped, wanting to let it all out, but afraid of how her parents would react. "Daddy... mom... I just wanted to say, when Kion told me all this, he did want me to keep it a secret from you. He thinks I can help him take over the Pride Lands from you, as well as Zira. And for a moment... I thought the same thing. I felt like I had a little bit of Scar in me." Simba and Nala both hugged her.

"We all have a little bit of Scar in us." Simba said. "But you did the right thing and that's what keeps you pure. Remember that. Never let temptation carry you to madness. That was your brother's greatest failure." Kiara frowned. She was determined to bring Kion home, no matter what. The young lioness just knew that there had to be a way to reunite her family, maybe even the Outsiders once they broke Zira's hold over them. Somehow, it could be done.

* * *

In order to prevent Kovu from escaping, he had to believe the Pridelanders were still oblivious to his and Zira's scheme. So whilst Nala and Simba headed to the Outlands to negotiate, it was Kiara's job to distract the hulking beast of a lion.

At first light, she approached him. Kovu was already awake, apparently following a rigid training regimen. As the lioness drew closer, Kovu's bright green, calculating eyes flicked over to her, waiting for the princess to speak.

"Hey, uh... I never got the chance to thank you properly for saving me."

Kovu raised an eyebrow and gave her a patronising look. "What kind of hunter are you anyway, princess?"

Kiara hadn't expected the insult. "... what?"

"You wouldn't last _three_ days on your own." The accusation made Kiara's blood boil. Who was this ruffian _Outsider_ to question her competency?! After all, she'd been trained to be the best of the best since birth.

"I would have if it wasn't for the fire. And I can prove it." Kiara suggested. Three days was more than enough for her parents to do whatever they had in mind, and more! All she had to do was tell Zazu. Kovu seemed uncomfortable with the idea, however. "Your father would never let us go off for three whole days. Gotta look after the princess in case she gets a hangnail."

Kiara made a frowny face. "Hey, those really hurt!" Which earned a scoff from the lion, who began to walk away from her. But she wasn't done with him and defiantly jumped in his way. "I am the future Queen of the Pride Lands. I make my own decisions." She said with playful confidence. "You coming or not?"

Kovu looked back and forth from her and the entrance to the den where Simba slept. Ultimately, he decided to be patient rather than attack the King immediately. And as he followed Kiara down the steps of Pride Rock, he reflected with some satisfaction that it was probably what Scar would've done as well.

* * *

"What are they up to now?!" Vitani hissed in anger, observing the couple sauntering off to the rhinos' territory. She couldn't understand why her brother hadn't snapped Simba's neck like a twig already... or why Kiara hadn't followed their instructions to head off to the Outlands.

Kion smirked mysteriously, not even bothering to look at them. "Playing their part. Now let's see if daddy dearest will play his."

The lioness turned to her mate, gaping. "You're hiding something from me!" Her violet eyes flashed with fury.

He sighed. "Tani, Tani, Tani... did you honestly expect me to count on my sister to win me the throne? I told her the truth because I knew she'd blab to our father. And he probably told her to get Kovu out of the way whilst he deals with Zira and our pride."

"Mother will kill him!" Vitani barked. The more she heard of Kion's scheming, the less she liked it.

Kion shook his head. "I think I know your mother better than you do. As long as she thinks it's Kovu's destiny to do so, she won't touch a hair on Simba's head. But I will." He ripped a nearby blade of grass out of the earth.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _I do apologise for being gone so long. I was away for several weeks on a military training operation. But that's all over now, and I'm finally done with all this in a week! Civilian life, here I come!_

 _*Hikota - Seems like it._

 _*Gracekim20 - I am familiar with the Makini character now(though I still have a lot of catching up to do with season 2)._

 _*Juster of Rivia - Thank you._

 _*CandyLuv99 - It might just happen naturally... if they survive._

 _*SpiderEye - You're very kind._

 _*STR2D3PO - There's only so much their nerves can take._

 _*Delta2060 - I was originally going to leave it at the first story, but the thought of following along the alternate timeline was irresistible._

 _*Redwallover28 - Yes, they saw it. That's why they fled the Pride Lands._

 _*The Overanalyst - Then by all means, continue analysing..._

 _*WolfBLitzk03 - Basically._

 _*Revan Alek Shan - Indubitably he has. But can he come back...?_

 _*Casey Willeke - I can't respond to you if you have no Fanfiction account._

 _*Thunder Crush - You can say that again._


	6. Chapter 6

Simba couldn't help, but get nervous as he and Nala arrived at the river separating the Pride Lands from the Outlands. "I have a feeling we're walking into a lion's den." He muttered.  
Nala raised an eyebrow. "That's because we literally _are_ walking into a lion's den."  
"Oh. Yeah."

Sighing, he walked over a fallen tree trunk that functioned as a bridge over the border. A short sniff told them the bridge was in regular use, and probably the very place used by the Outsiders to cross over. Which meant they made regular, illegal trips into the Pride Lands. Hardly surprising, but not good.

Making no move to conceal themselves, Simba and Nala approached the gigantic termite mounds that hid the Outsiders from the torching sun. Within seconds, they found themselves surrounded. The scraggly, emaciated lionesses all appeared out of nowhere at roughly the same time, as if they were triggered. Ahead of the largest mound stood the malevolently grinning Zira and on her sides, Kion and Vitani. The lame Nuka was conspicuous by his absence.

" _Sim-ba_!" Zira announced, elongating the hated word. Her expression dropped slightly as she looked at the Queen, as if she was below her interest. "And Nala. To what do I owe this... honor?" she asked mockingly.

"You know why we're here." Nala said coldly.

Zira smirked. "Indeed. But I want you to say it."

"Very well." Simba replied with authority. "We are here to return our son home. In exchange, your imprudent son will be released... and you'll have to find another way to get an heir of Scar on the throne."

"My son would never submit to you." Zira snarled. "And I know for a fact that he hasn't."

Kion walked forward. "We know you sent Kiara to distract Kovu. He isn't in any danger at all. But I'm afraid my mother has overestimated her position."

Zira's eyes flashed with fury. "What?!"

"I think I am going with my father after all." Kion smiled at her. "And I think Vitani will accompany me. AND I think... Kovu will not come to your aid during the final battle." He joined Simba's side, and Vitani reluctantly followed. Zira snarled.

"What are you doing, Vitani?! Get back here!"

Vitani appeared remorseful. "No, Mother."

"And before you think about hurting my... dad..." Kion said the last word with some twitching. "... just think how disappointed Scar would be if somebody other than his true heir killed him. So we're all leaving. Now. Together. And you can go find Kovu. After all, I know you want to face us down in a real battle. Unless you're scared."

Zira's face contorted in ways nobody had ever seen before. "I will rip out your hearts for this treachery." she growled. Kion smiled, relieved that his plan had worked. If Zira hadn't been as fanatical as she was, he might've been in real trouble. But as it was, he, Vitani and the Royal couple were able to depart from the Outlands fairly quickly.

* * *

As soon as they crossed the dam, Simba and Nala hugged Kion, who stood tense, loathing every second. "I'm glad you've seen the light, my son." Simba said, and Nala had tears in her eyes. "We've missed you so much!"

"Have you, indeed?" Kion asked slowly, his words piercing like freezing icicles. "So you've decided I'm not lost to the 'spirit of Scar' after all? That maybe banishing your only son to live with Outsiders... was a bad idea?"

Simba and Nala were both confused. "You left us, son. When we went to get you back from Zira, she said you were happy, that the Roar was gone."

"The Roar is gone." Kion admitted. His voice fell silent as the magnitude of how Zira had tricked him as a cub finally hit him. The realisation was quickly replaced by a fury the likes of which even him had never experienced before. "She lied. And every single _bloody thing_ I've ever done to be free of what you two wanted me to be has been to serve her."

Nala stroked his paw, desperately hoping she can help him. "And you're free now. You're not with Zira, and you don't have to be with us if you don't want to. Kion, _you're free_."

He turned to look at her swelling eyes and for the first time in years, wavered. She was right, he _could_ leave with Vitani and start over. Kion knew it was what his mate wanted as well. But the temptation to fall into the pool of blood and revenge was strong. He could see himself setting the Pride Lands ablaze with fire and watch the creatures scurry in terror as he ruled, making the legacy of Scar seem like a far happier time. And after all, could he bear the misery of being a good person again after everything he'd done? After the Lion Guard...?

"Tani?"

Vitani looked at the hopeful Royal pair, and turned back to Kion. "Yes?"

Kion pursed his lips. "What would you do?"

"Follow my heart." She said after thinking for a few seconds. Vitani was about as unsentimental as you could get, so this was more of a statement of fact than anything else. If Kion had taught her anything, it was independence from the suggestions and orders of those who surrounded her.

"Yeah." Kion nodded. "That's all I can do." He turned to his expecting parents, with a weary and tired expression. "You did not betray me, so I will not betray you either. You can go now. But tonight, there will be a battle. A war for the Pride Lands' future. I will be there, and I'll fight every single lion for that throne. Including you. Goodbye."

He left, and Vitani left with him.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _The final battle approaches... but who will live and who will die in this version? We shall see..._

 _*Gracekim20 - Why? I mean, I like Makini, but it's not like she has anything to do with this story._

 _*CandyLuv99 - Happy belated birthday!_

 _*WolfBLitzk03 - Ignoring the fact that I am slightly laptop addicted, yes._

 _*SpiderEye - Poorly, given that he never got the proper education from Simba. Not that the latter had much time for it either._

 _*STR2D3PO - Thanks._

 _*Arika Koski - Whoops, I went and made Kion evil. I am curious as to why it bothers you so much, though._

 _*Thunder Crush - I think the difference between Kion and Scar is that by the events of the original movie, Scar was pure evil, and basically didn't give a crap anymore whereas Kion is still justifying his actions to himself on some level._

 _*Guest - Well, that's why it's called fanfiction._

 _*Delta2060 - Can't wait to get into college._

 _*Guest - Scouts battalion._


	7. Chapter 7

Kion felt numb as he left his parents behind, and found himself walking down a familiar road, though he couldn't quite remember where it led.  
"Are you alright?" Vitani asked carefully. They never really asked each other about their personal feelings - Pridelanders were the mushy ones, after all - but Vitani couldn't help, but worry about him after the shocking revelation.

Kion stopped, and struggled to form words. Finally, he said: "They're tearing me apart. All of them. I can't be anything anyone ever wanted me to be. Guardian, secret weapon... I can't even be strong. Like I want to be. Yeah. A strong, great lion. Worthy of Mufasa. Worthy of _you._ Worthy of the Pride Lands. It's all cost me so much."

"You _are_ a great lion!" Vitani hissed angrily. "You are my mate. I wouldn't have chosen you if I didn't know what you are."

"Who do you think I am?" He asked, in a childlike and withdrawn tone, his confidence vanished.

Vitani rolled her eyes. "You are the King. That is who you've always wanted to be. And a lion takes what he wants. Lions over all. Got it?"

He took a deep breath, trying to stave off the overwhelming sea of regret and guilt that threatened to swamp his mind. And then he channelled it all into bitter hatred as he had done many times before, except it was never as hard. "We'll join at the last minute." He said with death in his voice. "I want to watch those miserable wretches tear each other to pieces before we take care of the leaders. They must all suffer for the pain they've caused me."

"For da pain you caused!" Rafiki shouted, standing next to him with a mockingly grumpy expression before bursting into laughter. Kion's eyes filled with terror.

Vitani cocked her head, confused. She couldn't see what Kion was staring at. "Kion?"

 _"Squash da head and make me dead, the leftovers keep the vultures fed!"_ Rafiki sang in Kion's head. _"Hehehehehe!"_ The lion tried to swat at him, but could only hit thin air.

"Kion, what the hell are you doing?" Vitani snapped.

He jumped all around, trying to find the apparition again. "It's that monkey! He's taunting me!"  
"... you killed the monkey, Kion." Vitani said slowly, now becoming frightened herself.

 _"Hey Kion, who's she?"_ Bunga pointed at Vitani. _"Your new best friend? I thought we were the bestest best!"_ "Shut up!" Kion growled and tried to bite his head off, but couldn't get him either. He closed his eyes, trying to shut out these bizarre delusions. "I will not lose my mind." he told himself.

 _"Well, you'd have to have one to lose one."_ Fuli snarled. _"Great job guarding the Pride Lands, Kion, now they really will end!"_

"YOU'RE DEAD! YOU'RE ALL DEAD! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Kion screamed and started to scratch his own head.

As he kept muttering to himself and slashing at invisible enemies, Vitani slowly backed away and disappeared into the night, fully convinced that despite her best attempts to keep him on the right track, the lion prince had fully snapped.

* * *

 _"KION!"_ The voice of the great Mufasa boomed through his skull. Kion tried to cower underneath a tree, but there was no hiding from the gigantic, disappointed face in the sky.

 _"How dare you pervert my legacy and challenge your father! You're a worser monster than Scar ever was! A FAILURE of incalculable proportions!"_ he berated.

Kion peeked between his toes. "Your legacy means nothing. Only mine matters when I will be King."

The Mufasa specter laughed maniacally. _"You? You will never rule a speck of dust."_

For a brief moment, Kion's anger overtook his fear. "I'll have your name wiped from history! You did this! All of this! You and your brother! You destroyed the Pride Lands!"  
 _" **SILENCE**!"_ Mufasa roared and Kion squeezed himself against the ground in fear. _"If you want to see the dawn of another day, you filthy cur, then run. Run away and never return to this place."_

"W-what will you do if I d-don't?" Kion mumbled.

Mufasa grinned devilishly. _"Nothing. I'll simply follow you in your head til the end of your miserable existence. And beyond. And so will all of they."_

And in one terrible moment, Kion saw everyone: the Lion Guard, the hyenas, the zebras and other friends whose lives he'd taken. All of them, surrounding him, laughing at him. He couldn't bear it. "Please, no." He whined, defeated. "I'll do anything, just leave me alone! I don't want to see you." He backed into the tree again, only to fall through a gap and land in a dark hole. Kion's whining only got worse as he realised where his paws had unknowingly taken him: the old Lion Guard lair.

 _"Well, we kinda have to haunt you."_ Ono pointed out and hopped in. _"We're ghosts, that's what we do. Common knowledge, really._ "

"Nooooo..." Kion groaned. "I'll leave. I'll be good! I'll be good, I promise, if you leave me alone!"

Mufasa snorted. _"Your promises mean nothing to me. Run. And prove it. And then maybe we will."_

Kion didn't need to be told twice. His feet spun into action and he jumped out and ran like prey being chased by a predator. Atop of the lair on the highest branches, a young baboon held a glowing staff and snickered. "Well, that little trick oughta keep him out of our way for a while." Makini said. "Eh, Rafiki?"

The old Mjuzi couldn't respond, for he was merely a fragment of a skull attached to Makini's bakora staff. "Ahh, you're too kind!" she laughed, and inadvertently let go of the staff, which sent out a loud crack as it fell to the ground.

The young baboon facepalmed and jumped down to at least collect the attachments in preparation for making yet another staff, but before her feet could reach the ground, she was tackled by a mass of angry fur.

"Well well, look who's up to practice with her magic." Kion said, her claws digging into Makini's flesh.

Makini laughed nervously. "Gotcha, huh? Err... sorry. Gotta do my job and all. Please make it quick."

Kion smiled maliciously. "Make what quick? You think I'm going to kill you? Oh no, don't worry... I've got a far better use for you..."


	8. Chapter 8

Makini winced as Kion held her hair in a tight grip. "You're hurting me!" she whined.

Kion mockingly winced as well. "Ohh, am I? I'm sorry, I'm just still a little shaken from your mental TORTURE!" he roared, and then forced himself to smile. "But let's leave that behind us, shall we?" Makini nodded nervously, and giggled a little to break the ice.

"I'm not an idiot, Makini. I recognise pure talent even when it's directed against me. And I need that talent."

Shivering, Makini shook her head. "I-I can't... you're one of Scar's followers now. Rafiki told me everything."

Kion smirked. "Rafiki's dead now. Everything that he knew could not save him from me. You are now the Royal Mjuzi. _My_ Royal Mjuzi." Still holding her hair, Kion forced the baboon to turn to look at Pride Rock. "That's the prize that every lion in the Pride Lands will be fighting over tonight. History is repeating itself."

Makini looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Why do you think Lion King after Lion King have ruled on that throne?"

"It's part of the Circle of Life!" She shouted defiantly.

Kion patted her on the head patronisingly. "And it rules us all? Well, but we both know nothing is forever, right? Which means there's a beginning and an end. Even to the Circle of Life. There was a first lion on that big rock. And you can bet your papayas that that lion was not elected. He claimed the land and made himself king through cunning and perseverence. And I am his rightful heir. It's my destiny to ascend on that rock."

"Why?" Makini asked.

"Because I threw away everything else." Kion admitted with a note of sadness. "I've trapped myself. I..." his voice faltered. "I... could never live with myself if I'd walk the hero path again. It would mean my friends died for nothing. It would mean... that I'm a monster. So you see... either the world is wrong, or I am. And I'm never wrong. _I must become the King_. And you must help me do this."

Makini sighed. "No. I will never betray the Royal Family. I won't be like you."

"Who said anything about becoming like me? There's only one me! And you're not betraying anyone. You don't even have to leave your tree! All I need you to do is perform a little bit of your trickery, not even on Simba, but on Zira and her Outsiders. Tip the balance in favor of my family."

Despite the fact that he was still tearing out her hair, Kion's voice sounded so reasonable that Makini almost blurted out an agreement. Thankfully, she caught herself. "You hate your dad. Why would you do this?"

Kion finally let go, knowing Makini's interest would be too piqued for her to run away. And yes, she caressed her hair, but stayed with him. "No cutthroat Outsider will take down my father. That's my right. Anyway, you can rest assured you'll be doing the right thing. Both by me, and by Simba." He gave her the most friendly and disarming smile he could. "There's a good Mjuzi."

After he left her, confident that she would follow his instructions, Kion allowed himself a far more cruel grin worthy of his old hyena enemy Janja. He felt a pang of nostalgia go through him. The hyena's death had been far too quick, but then again, he hadn't learned the value of patient revenge back then. Now, with Makini's unwitting help, he would lead both prides to their doom, and start all over. As for Vitani, well... all roads led to Pride Rock.

* * *

Nuka gritted his teeth as he plodded along on his damaged paws(more like stumps at this point, really). The years of abuse from his family(especially Kion and Vitani) had taken their toll on him and he'd decided that he was better off at least dying someplace other than the awful termite-infested mounds he'd spent his whole life in.

So, he'd scurried away not that anybody noticed he was gone. But as he was sneaking past patrol(rather cleverly by pretending to be a floating log in the river bordering the Pride Lands, a moment that even his battered ego recognised as genius), he overheard them discussing a visit from the King and Queen. Now Nuka almost regretted leaving so soon.

Apparently, the King and Queen had somehow tricked Kovu, and Kion and Vitani had betrayed Zira and incurred her wrath. The Outsiders were planning an attack on Pride Rock _tonight_!

Very valuable information indeed, especially to all sorts of creatures all over the Pride Lands who had no clue of the lions' interpersonal conflicts aside from "Pridelanders = good, Outsiders = bad". In any event, Nuka's warning spread like wildfire over the Pride Lands and instead of taxing his aching legs further, he got to ride on top of a worried rhino mom who was taking his son away to the jungle.

The news also reached Kiara and Kovu, who had been blissfully "practicing hunting" all this time, in a little land called Upendi...

But now, the vacation was over. With the truth revealed between them, Kovu and Kiara made a pact to return to the Pride Lands and set things right by reuniting the prides no matter the cost.

"Something must've gone wrong with the negotiations." Kiara stated the obvious. "This sounds like my brother's doing."

"Yeah." Kovu said. "My mom's bad enough, but Kion... if I know him at all, he's gonna turn a volcano into an apocalypse."

* * *

Kion stood on a hill overlooking Pride Rock from behind. Behind him, the sun was setting behind the mountains. Brilliant reds and yellows were sprayed all over the skies.

And gleaming in front of it was him. He smiled boyishly.

"I can't wait to be King."


	9. Chapter 9

As she stood on a hilltop, Vitani sniffed the winds and looked at the skies. A terrible storm was fast approaching, but it was incomparable to the turmoil in her mind. Unlike pathetic, whimpering Nuka, she'd always been self-sufficient, but she was now beginning to realise that she was a cripple in her own way. _Loyalty_. In spite of her dedication to the predator lifestyle, Vitani had always followed the schemes of the few lions she found reliable.

At first, things had been simple. Hunt for the pride, kill for the pride, fight for the pride. Zira was the eldest, and the smartest, and her own blood, so she'd never questioned the logic of obeying her instructions even if she had no personal interest in Pride Rock itself apart from the obvious access to food that owning it would allow.

The introduction of Kion to her life had... complicated matters. The two of them had become a capable and powerful pair that supplemented each other, yes. But like all members of his family, Kion had an iron will worthy of royalty and saw no need to blindly follow Zira's instructions.  
It came down to a choice: mother or mate? A difficult, but not impossible choice. There was nothing that truly tied them to the rest of the Outsiders.

But not only did Kion isolate her from her former pride, his stubborn obsession with reclaiming his family's throne at all costs as opposed to doing the right thing - leaving and starting a new pride with her - ate away his mind. _Loyal_ to a fault, Vitani had stuck with the prince until his last moment of lucidity, but now Kion was lost forever somewhere as far as she was concerned, fighting phantasms. And following a literal lunatic was impossible.

So where to go?

As the first drizzle of rain came down, Vitani found cover underneath the torn up branches and earth of a fallen tree. Peeking out, she could still see the faint outline of Pride Rock in the distance in spite of the rain and fog. The lioness frowned. Suddenly, she twitched as she sensed another presence very close, and the fur on her back bristled. The moment she heard the crackling sound of a leaf being pressed down, Vitani whirled around and snatched a small creature off the ground.

It was a hedgehog and Vitani was holding it in a tight grip... squeezing the spines deep into her hand. She hissed in pain, but refused to let go. "It's not very smart of a little critter like you to sneak up on a big lioness like me." She said.

The hedgehog squirmed helplessly, inadvertently doubling the pain in Vitani's paw. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there! I've got such bad eyes." He rubbed his eyes. "And my nose is stuffed, so I couldn't smell you either. Wait... you're a lioness, aren't you? Not to pry in your business, but shouldn't you be at Pride Rock at this hour... and in this weather?"

"Good idea. Don't pry in my business." Vitani snapped and pried the hedgehog off of her stinging paw. "Great, now I'm bleeding."

"I can patch that up for you if you want." The hedgehog suggested. "If you promise not to eat me."

Vitani scoffed. "I've never been _that_ hungry. But sure. It's not like we'll be going anywhere in this rain." As they had been talking, water had begun to drip from the skies, gradually increasing in speed and intensity. Thankfully, the massive trunk and roots managed to be an effective roof over their heads. The hedgehog ripped a large leaf from the fallen tree trunk and began wrapping it around Vitani's paw. The coolness of it eased the pain.

She'd never known much about gratitude, so she simply muttered "thanks" and resumed staring at Pride Rock through a little slit between the roots and the earth. The little hedgehog crawled up to sit next to her head. "Harry. My name." he said.

"Vitani." the lioness replied.

Harry noticed that she was focused on Pride Rock. "Can't wait to be back home, huh?"

She didn't reply.

"Then again, you're a lioness... you'd have been fast enough to get back home if you sensed a storm coming." He thought out loud.

"I was... returning from a long trip." Vitani lied. "Didn't get back fast enough."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, that happens. Weather's got a grudge on you, eh?" He giggled lightly. "I bet you can't wait to be back in that cozy den. I mean, when I first left my home tunnels, I thought I wouldn't want to see my family again for at least five years. Took me about a week to get homesick. Still, when it's time, it's time."

"Yeah." Vitani said without turning her head. A bolt of lightning shot through the sky and illuminated the ground enough for Vitani to even spot - or at least think she spotted - shadowy figures moving towards Pride Rock. The Outsiders? Kion? "When enough's enough, you go."

"Well, I try and stay in touch with them." Harry said wistfully. "After all, I'd be nothing if it weren't for them shaping me up to carry on the family legacy and all that."

Vitani frowned. "The family legacy?"

"Yeah. I mean, my family, we go way back." Harry scratched his head, trying to remember the stories learned so long ago. "I'm supposedly directly descended from one hedgehog called Jimmy, who helped the first blind Lion King get to that big pointy rock. Don't know if it's true or not, but it does help my self-esteem a fair bit."

"How?" The lioness asked, now out of genuine curiosity.

"Well, it's all a matter of continuity, isn't it? Knowing that you're a part of something greater and not a speck of dust everyone will forget."

Vitani looked at Pride Rock again, Harry's words echoing in her mind. _Part of something greater..._ once again, her conflict of loyalty and what she thought was best for herself rose up. Vitani knew that if she left now, she'd be forever separating herself from her previous life. Many lions and lionesses chose that path deliberately, but Vitani, in spite of her fierce and toughened nature, was not a loner. She wasn't exactly a team player either, but she needed a cause to fight for.

It was right at that point that Vitani realised she was never destined to be Queen. She hadn't the slightest idea what to do with power, because she'd never had anagenda beyond living life to its fullest whilst being the best help she could possibly be to her pride.

 _But how do I help them now?_ Zira would never take her back. And Simba would most likely enforce his exile on her. _These are just possibilities! You have no idea what you'll find when you go back._ Vitani scolded herself. Problems were made to be solved, her mother had taught her. And she had to go back to solve hers, instead of running away, like... like Nuka!

"Hey!" she snapped to the hedgehog. Struggling to put her gratitude to words again, this time Vitani settled for: "Thanks. Really. A lot of thanks." And dashed out of the cover and into the downpour of rain outside in spite of Harry's well-meaning protests.


	10. Chapter 10

Kion's eyes gleamed through the storm, anticipation building to feverish heights. As he observed from his hiding place behind a rotten tree trunk over the canyon, the two lion prides met.

"It's over, Simba!" Zira growled. "I have dreamed of nothing else for years!"

Simba scowled. "Go home, Zira."

"I _AM_ home... ATTACK!"

And so the lion prides met in battle. Kion twitched, every fiber of his body aching to join them and rip through the flesh of all of his enemies to reach the two greatest, but his wits told him to wait for the oppurtune moment. At any given time during the battle, Makini would enact her spell and give Kion the advantage he needed to win. But when? In his fervor to get the baboon to agree, Kion realised he'd completely forgotten to give Makini an exact time. So it could be at any moment. But Kion's patience wasn't going to last forever. Every single time a slash came close to Simba's head, he flinched. He _needed_ that kill.

"Kion!" A familiar, hoarse voice called out in the rain. Kion smiled smugly. Vitani had run back to him, just as expected.

"You know, for someone who only opens her mouth to lecture about what makes one a predator or prey, you're awfully predictable." Kion snarked. "Might wanna work on that the next time you think I've lost my mind."

Vitani deadpanned. "You were talking with dead people."

"Just a little bit of smoke and mirrors that I can now use for our advantage." Kion said proudly.

"There's no our, Kion. Not anymore. I've been rethinking my priorities. I'm not going to be tied down by this lunatic vengeance of yours. I won't be remembered as the mere mate of a lunatic traitor. Unless you can leave all of this behind - right now - and walk away with me, then I'll be the first lion you fight today."

Kion gulped. And twitched. And bit his cheek. It surprised him how much Vitani's ultimatum shocked his system. One would think that after making enemies with all of his former friends and family, one more bitter face wouldn't phase him, but it did. He was glad that it was raining, and Vitani didn't realise his eyes were watering up.

Finally, the lion managed a stretched grimace of a grin. "Then you will die."

Vitani matched his forced smile with an easygoing one: "I don't think you can afford that. You know what I'm capable of. If you fight me, you'll wear yourself out, you'll be so tired you can't fight anyone for thr throne. Is that really something you're willing to risk... or will you just let me go and accept that just once... you _lose_?"

Without losing a beat, Kion sprung into action and the two of them rolled down the cliff and into the mud, biting and whacking at each other madly. In any other case, it would've been their closest approximation to a romantic evening. But this time, it truly was a battle to the death.

* * *

"Ssssssimba!" Zira's battle cry howled over the battlefield. Realising that something was afoot, Kion froze for a moment, and that was all that a pinned Vitani needed to slash at his face with her claws, tearing a gash right over and through his left eye. Screaming in pain, Kion backed off, but the adrenaline was still running high enough for him to remember Zira's cry. Leaving Vitani with a final, dissatisfied snarl, Kion sprinted across the dam rather clumsily, as his vision was impaired.

On the other side, he saw that contrary to what he'd thought, Simba and Zira were not locked in final combat, not yet. Instead, Zira and all the other Outsiders were fighting at thin air. Makini's spell! His teeth gritted to ignore the searing pain, Kion observed as the Pridelanders shrugged and went on attacking their enemies, not caring to question what had happened to the Outsiders. They pushed on with ease now that their enemies were mostly incapacitated, and the Outsiders retreated into the canyon, just as Kion had hoped(it had been one of Zira's strategies, to try and escape into the labyrinth in the worst case scenario).

High up, he grabbed ahold of a boulder just as Simba's lionesses entered the canyon and pushed it down into the tunnel, crushing or injuring most of the Outsiders and a third of the Pridelanders. In terror, Simba looked up and in the flash of lightning, caught a glimpse of his maniacal son... with the _scar_. Realising, that he had deliberately orchestrated the murders, he turned around and climbed up in a few jumps. "Kion!"

"Simmmba!" Kion said playfully, unknowingly in the manner of his grand-uncle. "For once, right on time... to die."

"NO!" A wail came from the canyon. Recognising the voice, Kion flicked his eyes down to see Zira, holding onto the canyon wall by tooth and claw and sheer force of will to try and reach the two lions. However, the old dam holding the river back finally broke from the pressure of the rain increasing the water and washed Zira and the trapped survivors of Kion's attack below ignominiously away with it.

"Zira's dead, son. It can _end right here._ " Simba said. "The Outsiders won't fight without their leader. The war is over."

Kion laughed and cried bloody tears at the same time. "I won't let it go. I can't. They were my friends, dad. Bunga, Fuli, Ono, Beshte... they _died_ for this. So that I could be King."

Simba shook his head sadly. "They died because you killed them."

"Well, why don't you ask them?" Kion asked with a sick smile. "In fact, why don't you just go and do that _now_?" He unsheathed his claws and was about to use them, when another bolt of lightning disguised the arrival of Kovu and Kiara, who stood between Kion and Simba.

"Kion, this has to stop!" Kiara pleaded.

Kovu nodded. "She's right. You're not gonna gain anything from being the last one standing on a lonely piece of rock. I wish I understood that before, but Zira isolated me - isolated all of us from what really matters! Family, friends, warmth! If we all thought 'lions over all', there'd be no happiness for anyone."

"I'd be happy." Kion snarled, glaring at them all with his remaining good eye. "I'd be happy if there was no one else left. No one to torture me, no one to judge me, no one to choose my destiny for me, no one to mock or berate, waste my little time on this earth with pitiful whining and singing! Isn't that what Uncle Timon used to teach us, dad? The world turns its back on you and you turn your back on the world."

Kovu took a daring step further. "I'll fight for King Simba, if you need a fight."

"Kovu, that's not necessary-!" Simba protested and Kiara tried to grab ahold of him, but Kovu shook her off.

"Yes it is! My whole childhood was like this. Just bile upon bile until you want to tear out everyone's throats just to stop hearing it!" Kovu said. "If this is the only way out Kion can think of, then I _will_ take your place and fight for my new family."

Kion tapped his paw against his other paw impatiently. "Oh, how romantic. Very well. It'll only increase their pain once they have to live on without you. Come on then. Come home."

* * *

Following Kion, Kovu climbed to the very top of Pride Rock, a mountain that overlooked the entirety of the Pride Lands or as the Kings put it "everywhere the light touches". It was an awesome feel from the altitude alone, even though Kovu couldn't make out anything from the thick fog.

"Kion, please..." Kovu started. "Please recons-" His words were cut off as Kion savagely attacked him. Bewaring the edge, Kovu tried to stay in the center of the rock, though the fog was so thick that he had no way of telling how big the platform was. That, and it was slightly hard to concentrate with an insane lion trying to tear you to pieces.

But Zira had trained him just as well, and this, Kovu realised, was his ultimate challenge. Not Simba, Kion. And through him, he would defeat Scar. He would save his now-beloved Kiara and her father and earn his redemption.

Kion held nothing back, but was noticing that his speed was slowing down. The cuts, bites and bruises that Vitani had left him were beginning to make their mark, not to mention his damaged eye constantly kept him off-balance. But he refused to surrender to any physical malady. Kion was absolutely convinced it was his _destiny_ to win and overcome all the pain he'd caused himself by ripping it to shreds rather than dealing with it.

Panting, Kion jumped at Kovu and felt his leg go over the edge. No! He gripped onto the rock and pulled it back. "Not so easy, Kovu." He taunted. "You were never anything, anything compared to-"

Kovu struck him again and Kion blocked... in the wrong place, because of his poor eye. The shove somersaulted him backwards into the air and he disappeared into the fog. Only a piercing, terrified scream emerged and muffled out as it reached the bottom of Pride Rock.

* * *

Makini sat satisfied in her tree as the rain finally came to a close and the beautiful sun emerged from dark clouds. A beautiful rainbow signified the start of a better era. The birds sang happily and she smiled, knowing they'd never dare if a true, benevolent King hadn't emerged victorious.

The only thing to ruin her good mood was the somber realisation that Rafiki never got to see the sun come out again before his mysterious death. But perhaps it was meant to be. Yes, that was it. A change from old to new, part of the Circle of Life, that's what the old, truly wise baboon would say. Satisfied in her mind, Makini jumped off her tree, eager to visit Pride Rock now that the battle was concluded and begin administering healing lotions. Before she could take another step, however, a large wild animal jumped out of the bushes, nearly giving her a heart attack.

When Makini realised who it was, she had a second near-heart attack. Vitani, her fur bristling and bloody, and she was carrying something. Makini's hands slapped on her mouth, stunned as Vitani gently lowered the gurgling, pathetic heap of dirty brown mane and meat and bones sticking out everywhere. What had once been a paw was shivering uncontrollably.

"He's still alive." Vitani hissed angrily. "Fix him!"

 **TO BE CONCLUDED IN "LIONS OVER ALL 3: THE CIRCLE OF DEATH"**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Thank you all for following this story and I hope to see you return for the final chapter... what more could be there to tell about this morbid little AU? Oh, you'd be surprised... just trust me when I say that Kion is far from finished terrorising the world... he might even do a better job next time!_

 _*Arika Koski - It's okay, we're cool. Just take things more calmly next time. And for your information, Vitani was never confirmed to be a relative of Scar. It was never even confirmed that Zira and Scar were mates. :)_

 _*Gracekim20 - You asked for a Makini appereance?_

 _*Delta2060 - Thanks for appreciating the characterwork! I think it's really good characterisation that makes a story click so I'm always proud when somebody says that!_

 _*Anonymous Girl - We all love real Kion!_

 _*Guest - What makes you think Vitani is older than Kion? We've seen no evidence of that. They seem the same age to me._


End file.
